~The Devil's Arithmetic

~Entry #1 (pg.1-11) March 17, 2011

Summary- Hannah hates when her family gets together for holidays. All they do is remember. Plus she is usually the only kid there besides her brother. This year the passover just happened to fall on Easter. She had to go even though she wanted to stay at home. Her grandma and grandpa were counting on her to be there. Her brother, Aaron, had to read the Four Questions. When she got there her grandpa was yelling in Yiddish at the tv and showing off his tattoo. His tattoo was of five numbers and it was located in the inside of his arm. Finally her Aunt Eva lit the candles and they prayed.

Vocab
Haggadah- the text recited at the Seder on the first two nights of the Jewish Passover.
Seder- a Jewish ritual service and ceremonial dinner for the first or first to nights of the Jewish Passover.
Yiddish- the language used by Jews in Central and Eastern Europe before the Holocaust.
compensation- something awarded to someone as a recompense for loss, injury, or suffering.
uncomprehendingly- showing or having an inablitiy to comprehend something.

~Entry #2 (pg.12-22) March 18, 2011

Summary- Hannah's grandfather started in on the explanations in the Haggadah. All she could think about was going to her Grandpa Dans' house tomorrow for the next day of the Seder. Aaron had begun the four questions. He had messed up a few times but Hannah helped him correct his mess ups. For the Seder she could drink a gall of watered wine even though she was only 13 years old. Her grandpa had thought she was grown up enough for it now. The wine made her head buzzed. Then she gave Aaron permission to go find the afikoman and hide it. As usually he hid it in the bathroom. Then they sat down to eat. Hannah was given another glass of wine, but she didn't want it. So when the cup was passed around for everyone to offer some of there drink she poured the whole thing in. Her grandpa was impressed and let her open the door for the prophet. She opened the door. Instead of seeing the hallway to all the other apartments she saw a greening field.

Vocab

droned- to make a continuous low humming sound.
exodus- a mass departure of people.
matzoh- a thin crisped unleavened bread.
guffawed- a loud and boisterous noise.
superstitions- excessively credulous belief in and reverence for supernatural being.

~Entry #3 (pg.23-33) March 21, 2011

Summary- Hannah was no longer in her own world. She went from her grandma and grandpa's house to a little cabin in a field with no towns around. Hannah is no longer Hannah anymore. Her name is Chaya. When converted to american it means Hannah. She now lived with Gitl and Shumel. Shumel was getting married very soon to some girl and Gitl (Shumel's sister) refused to marry. Hannah, or Chaya, could understand every word that was spoken even though they spoke in Yiddish. To Hannah its just a dream, but it seemed so real. Hannah always spoke of things that confused Gitl and Shumel, but they didn't notice it because Chaya's (Hannah) parents had died. The first day of this "dream' came to an end and Chaya fell asleep confused. Early the next morning she woke up and it all came back to her.

Vocab
illogical- lacking sense or clear, sound reason in
conspiratorial- a person who takes part in conspriacy
Rabbi- a Jewish scholar/ teacher, esp. one who studies/ teaches Jewish laws
solemn- formal and dignified
Torah- the Jewish Bible

~Entry #4 (pg.34-44) March 24, 2011

Summary- Early that morning Chaya wasn't the only one awake, Shumel was awake also. Shumel told Chaya that he was nervous because he was to get married. They talked and talked. Soon Hannah started talking about New Rochelle. There was only one thing wrong about that, and that is that Chaya is from Lubin and New Rochelle was never even heard of. Shumel just laughed it off. For breakfast Chaya had dark bread and milk. She was very disappointed. Right during breakfast Yitzchack had brought over some chickens as a wedding gift to Shumel and his soon to be wife. Yitzchack was a butcher, he had two children, and he wanted Gitl to marry him, but that wasn't going to happen. Yitzchack helped with the chores. The wedding was today and Chaya had nothing to wear. Gitl gave her and old dress of hers. Chaya thought it was ugly, but she had nothing else to wear. Hannah headed out doors where they would start there way to the wedding.

Vocab

companionable- (of a person) friendly and sociable

annoyance- the feeling or state of being annoyed

henpecked- continually criticize and give orders to

timidity- lacking the act of courage or confidence

yarmulkes- a skullcap worn by public Orthodox Jewish men of during prayer by other Jewish men



~Entry #5 (pg. 45-55) April 5, 2011

Summary- Hannah is eagerly greeted by some girls her age. They told her that they were really eager to meet her. But that they hadn't been allowed since she was just recovering from her so called parents death and sickness. Hannah told the girls all kinds of stories about New Rochelle and books and movies that she had seen. They were amazed. The loved her stories. When she told them they would get emotional. Finally they were close to the wedding. They could hear the music play.

Vocab

Chanukah- Jewish Holiday

rendar- to provide a service

Klezmer- traditional Jewish Folk Music

schnorrers- beggar or scrounger

broker- a person who buys and sells goods


~Entry #6 (pg. 56-66) April 6, 2011

Summary- Gitl dragged Chaya to come and visit her soon to be aunt. Fayge was her name. She was going to marry Shumel. Fayge had jet black hair and was the most beautiful women Hannah had ever meet. She had big strong hands and was very sweet and shy. She told Hannah that she was nervous about getting married. Hannah told her that Shumel had told her the same thing that morning. As they apporached the curch they could see a bunch of cars and men in uniforms. They all wondered what they were doing there. The badchan told them that they were the malach ha-mavis, or the angel of death. Hannah remebered her grandpa yelling that at the tv and showing off his tattoo. She had then realized that she was living in the Holocaust. She shouted at the people. She told them that they were Nazis.


Vocab

Sherele- bad, gloomy song

huffing- a mood of sulking anger

Shul- a synagogue

malach ha-mavis - Angel of Death

undistinguishable- to mark off as different


~Entry #7 (pg.67-77) April 10, 2011

Summary- Hannah keeps telling everyone that they will be killed in a gas chamber by the soliders (a.k.a the Nazis). Gitl hushes her up, she does not want the soliders to hear. The soliders told them that the government wanted the all Jews relocated for now and that they would all be ok. The soliders hurded them into the back of a car. Everyone was squished together. Gitl sang songs to calm the children. Then she broke out into a song, Hannah knew for sure that it was not a childrens song. Everyone joined in. They drove for hours. Finally they arrived at a bus station. On the ground were belongings of all the Jews that were recently there. The people started noticing belongings of there friends and families. Hannah and everyone was told to get on the ground so that the soliders could take any jewelry or any thing else that they wanted to keep. If they spoke they were shot. When they were allowed to stand, Hannah looked around people had black eyes, bloody cuts, and many women were crying. The soliders hurded them into a box car that was smaller than before.


Vocab

bobbe meinses- means tall tales in English

assent- to agree or concur

billeted- to provide lodging for

raggedly- torn or worn to rags

deviling- an atrociously wicked, cruel, ill-tempered man


~Entry #8 (pg.78-88) April 11, 2011

Summary- The box car was extremely small, there was no room to sit. The men and women held the little children in thier arms. The men started telling stories of the horrible things they have heard about the Nazis. Shooting Jews in trenches, slaughtering them in front of there family members, and putting them in special camps. The women told the men to shut up because the stories were scaring the children. The box car traveled for four days and four nights. During that time a young boy died in his mother's arms. Finally after four days of traveling the train reached a stop. Everyone in Hannah's box car was given a drink of water, really dirty water. Then they were loaded into the boxcar. Many died in the time it took to get to the camp. At camp they were orderred out of the box car and into a room.


Vocab

Shtetl- a small Jewish community

stew- to feel uncomfortable due to hot, humid climate

alienates- to make indifferent

impudent- shameless or brazenly immodest

embankment- man made ridge of earth or stone


~Entry #9 (pg.89-99) April 11, 2011

Summary- In that room the men and women were seperated. The men then left the room. The prisoner there told Hannah to hand over her ribbons in her hair. She refused finally, she gave them up. Then the women were told to strip down naked because they were to get a shower. The showers were ice cold. When they got back in the room a barber then shaved off all their hair. Many cried and screamed. They then were told to pick out clothes. All the clothes had an awful smell but they put them on. Hannah helped the little kid next to her put on theirs. They then were given a number.


Vocab

amphitheater- a room having teirs of seats arranged around a central area

prominent- leading, important, or well-known

discernible- capable or being discerned

shorn-to cut something

hazier-lacking distinctness or clarity


~Entry #10 (pg.100-110) April 13, 2011

Summary- The guy that put the tattoo on Hannah warned her that if she forgot it her life would be gone. Gitl went to ask one of the guards if she could have some food. He said no you will eat when you are given food. It was late so they all went to bed. Everyone woke up to the sound of a horn. Hannah looked around for Gitl. Gitl was leaning over Tzipporah. She was curled up into a little ball and her thumb in her mouth. She had died in her sleep. When Hannah went over there. She tried getting the fly off of Tzipporah. Gitl slapped her across the face twice. Hannah was scared. Gitl then apologized and then they went to get there one and only bowl for food. They then were given a speech about their duties there.


Vocab

dissipating- disperse or scatter

fuzzed- make or become blurred

muster- collect or assemble

arbitrary- based on random choice

fervor- intense and passionate feeling


~Entry #11 (pg.111-121) April 20, 2011

Summary- Hannah had a long conversation with Rivaka after dinner that night. Rivaka explained her number to them. Rivaka out of a family of eight was almost the only one left, beside her brother who was classified as one of the walking dead. Rivaka said that Hannah and her friends needed to find sweaters and shoes in order to survive. Hannah's friends didn't want to her about the dredful things that could happen to them. The gas chambers. Hannah then told Rivaka what her number meant. Rivaka was 10 years old and had survived the camp for over a year now. She knows all the tricks to surviving and Hannah is ready to learn them.


Vocab

SonderKommando- the walking dead

sanctuary- a sacred or holy place

starkly- harsh, grim, or desolate

cholera- an infectious disease

triumphantly- having achieved victory


~Entry #12 (pg.122-132) April 20, 2011

Summary- The next morning Hannah got to experience her first midden hiding. Everytime the Commandant came around for a check up on the camp all the children had to hide because they were not old enough to be there. Hannah looked old enough so she didn't have to hide, but she grabbed a baby and ran in to the midden.The midden is the dump. Hannah has finally gotten used to the shedule. Roll call, brakfast, work, lunch, supper, work, bed. Every day it was the same. Hannah would always give some of her food to Reuven. Gitl stopped Hannah and told her that she needed to eat all her own food because she was a growing girl. Gitl then would give Reuven her food. The Commandant was coming back and this time it was for chosen and processing (picking and killing to weak inmates.) Rivaka said they were not allowed to talk about death or the corpses of the dead ones. The Nazi's didn't think of it that way.


Vocab

penetrating-acute; discerning

pervasive- spreading thourghout

guady- brilliantly or excessively showy

privies- private, secret

meager- having littly flesh; thin


~Entry #13 (pg.133-143) April 21, 2011

Summary- Many guys that Hannah and Gitl had known from back home were some of the chosen yesterday. They were deeply sad. Hannah could no longer remember anything besides camp. When her and Shifre talk about thier favorite food Hannah can only remember camp food. It's all just a blurr to her. Once again the Commandant was coming back. Reuven didn't make it to the midden in time and ran right into the Commandant. Reuven was asked where his mother was. Hannah answered for him. She said that she had died many years before. The Commandant said that a boy that young should be with his mother and he was then carried off for processing Hannah believes. Hannah can not stop thinking about him. She should have said that he was her brother but if she did she would be dead to. Rivaka was not fazed by it at all. For she had seen it happen many times.

Vocab

sonorous- loud, deep, or resonant, as a sound

cauldron- large kettle or boiler

shucked- something useless or worthless

scuffed- to scrape

dagger- a short, swordlike weapon


~Entry #14 (pg.144-154) April 21, 2011

Summary- Gitl, Shumel, and Yitzchak had a plan. Gitl warned Hannah about this plan but she wouldn't say what it is. Hannah kept worrying about that plan. Late one night Gitl woke up Hannah. The plan was a go for. Gitl led Hannah to the midden, on the way one of them made to much noise and that guards started to yell. A moment later all the lights went on. Hannah and Gitl made it back to barracks in time before they were caught. All the guys that went along with the plans were caught. The next day they were shot and sent up the smoke stacks.


Vocab

chirruped- to make a similar sound

shrill- high pitched sound

blokova- a prisioner that is in charge at a camp

parody- a humorous imitation

hysteria- an uncontrollable outburst of emotion


~Entry # 15 (pg.155-166) April 26, 2011

Summary- Hannah remembered one of her famous stories while she was at work and then went to find Shifre and her friend. Shifre is the one that she used to tell stories to. Rivaka came along and wanted to here it. Hannah told Shifre and Rivaka that 6 million Jews are going to die because of the Nazis. The didn't believe her. How could Hannah know the future? They thought it was just a dream she had had. Hannah told them to remember the Holocaust, or one day it will happen again. A guard caught them talking he said that there was 3 spots left for processing. He picked out 3 of the 4 girls to go with him. Everyone but Hannah was picked. Hannah took the kerchief off of Rivaka's head and put it on her own. She told Rivaka to go hide and to always remember. Chaya had taken her own life so that Rivaka could live. It turns out that this story that took place inside of Hannah's mind was linked to her Aunt Eva. Eva was once Rivaka and <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://static.ourstory.com/export/timeline.swf?w=425&h=350&v=198495" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://static.ourstory.com/export/timeline.swf?w=425&h=350&v=198495" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" AllowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://www.ourstory.com/register_user.html?slink=timeline1" title="Start your own timeline at OurStory.com">Start your own timeline at OurStory.com</a> still is. When she emigrated to the United States she changed her name. Hannah was not Chaya though. Chaya was a little girl that had saved <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://static.ourstory.com/export/timeline.swf?w=425&h=350&v=198495" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://static.ourstory.com/export/timeline.swf?w=425&h=350&v=198495" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" AllowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://www.ourstory.com/register_user.html?slink=timeline1" title="Start your own timeline at OurStory.com">Start your own timeline at OurStory.com</a> life. Hannah finally realizes why they remember. Remembering is the only way to stop it from happening again.


Vocab

goblets- a drinking glass with a foot and a stem

kerchief- a piece of fabric used to cover the head

remnants- a small remaining quantity of something

salvaging- to rescue something

superimposed- place or lay over another



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